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"ON EAGLES' WINGS MINISTRIES"

“See how I bare you on eagles’ wings and brought you unto myself.” Exodus 19: 4.
 

Royce Kennedy, 909 Whistling Duck Drive, Largo, MD 20774, U. S. A.

 
Website: https://www.godfire.net/kennedy/  

 

Email: Rkenn909@hotmail.com

 

"MARVEL NOT, YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN"
 PART 3
MAY 2020

"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." 1^st Peter 1:23-25. By virtue of the truth that we seek in Jesus Christ, we are compelled to dig deeper and deeper into the scriptures with open hearts, ready to be renewed and refilled by the response we get from the very throne room of our God. The concept of the new birth—being born of water and of the Spirit—has become a normal, or the usual mantra among "Evangelicals" and other Pentecostal groups.

My adoptive father was not good at repeating the words to various songs; but he goes through the tune as he hums each of his favorite songs. One of his favorite was this one: "Ye must be born again, ye must be born again, verily, verily I say unto you, ye must be born again." From my days in Sunday school, and growing up as a young Christian, I have been singing with others, the famous song based upon the concept of being born of the water and the Spirit. But as we just noted from scripture, there is a third component that is incorporated into the complete process of the new birth. All three factors are combined as one to make the born again process complete.

No single factor is meant to work by itself as an independent agent; but when we notice how the third component has been ignored or treated with simplicity, by Christendom at large, the effects are visible before our very eyes. Observing from the creation of man upon the earth until we came into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, the facts are clearly seen that God perfected a master plan that produced man out of himself (including everything created) with the intent of bringing all things (and all people back into himself) as we read: "For of him (or out of him) and through him, and (back into him) are all things: to whom be glory forever." Romans 11:36. To ensure that mankind would be a sort of replica of himself, man was created in his image and after his likeness. With that theme in mind, Paul made it quite clear that the reason for us being saved by Jesus Christ, is that we would be conformed (made like-fashioned after)the image of God’s Son, so that he might be the first born among many brethren, or a family of many brothers. Thus, the church is featured in scripture as being of his flesh, and of his bones. Ephesians 5:30

It is important for us to keep reminding ourselves of God’s original purpose in his dealings with his created universe and all humanity who occupy this terrestrial plane. As we are told by the prophet: "God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited." Isaiah 45:18. From the beginning we see God at work by his spoken word—the same spoken word that is now figured into our salvation. Peter explained that our salvation is centered upon the word of God that abides forever. It is the same creative and eternal word that God employed before tie began—that he used to bring forth all that we see and enjoy.

See how his word works to bring into the visible things out of the invisible. "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them (do you care to number how many are mentioned here?) by the breath of his mouth. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast." Psalm 33:6,9. The writer of the book of Hebrews made his contribution to the subject by noting: "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the words were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." Hebrews 11:3. We should understand that in this scenario, God did not summon the atoms and had them coagulate into a massive coherent object from which to create other objects.

I used to say in live sermons concerning this very subject that "God stood on the edge of nothing and spoke to an empty void out of which the whole creation emerged." We call this "the creative word" for he spoke, and it was done. He said, "let there be—and there was. In truth, God intends for every word we speak to be creative for good, even though we speak for evil. Jesus alluded to the creative nature of the words we speak when he said: "But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." Matthew 12:36.

Within this same train of thought, Paul wrote in one of his pastoral letters saying: "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain." 1^st Timothy 4:4; 2^nd Timothy 3:9. So, in brief we are given guidelines as to how we should speak and what the main thrust of our conversation should be. As we return to the Word of God that lives and abides forever, we can absorb the truth that is at our fingertips for our personal health and growth in Jesus Christ. Jesus was a master teacher, but he directed his disciples to look beyond his person—his flesh. "The flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life." John 6:63. The life in the word is on display as God spoke, and it was done—according to his word!

Remember that Peter said in his letter that the word of God abides forever, and it is that "living seed" that permeates our entire being; and as we grow in faith and in fellowship with him, the Seed of life becomes a Tree of life within the process of growth by faith in him. I was the visiting speaker at a church in upstate New York, and the pastor was an elderly lady. She began her remarks by saying: "I’d rather be in the Word, than be in heaven, for heaven and earth shall pass away, but his word shall not pass away." Matt. 24:35. WE must never forget that before the world was, before the command for the light to shine and the waters be divided above the firmament and below the firmament Christ the Word was already there.

John had it correct when he wrote: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt (tabernacle) among us." John 1:1,2,14. When we read from Peter’s letter, we are told the good news of the incorruptible seed by which we are being saved. We are told that this seed lives and abides forever, with the understanding that we in turn should live our lives into eternity. But, for the most part, and in general practice after bible class, or the sermon is over we walk away to live our lives the way we have always lived. What is the missing link in this scenario? Where is it that we all seem to come short?

By careful observation, it must be noted that all bible classes and all sermons are built upon the words and experiences of people who lived and walked with Christ and God more than two thousand years ago. This strongly suggests that we, as a people, are failing to appropriate unto ourselves the treasures God has placed in his word for us to embrace and nurture ourselves upon, like honey from the honeycomb. As we usually say in ministry, "we must learn to take the word off the written page and put them deep within our spirit. In fact, David alluded to the fact that "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11.

The reality of the work and power that are off-shoot of the incorruptible seed, can only be experienced and be beneficial to us when we move beyond the written word, and have made the reality of the story a living experience that permeates our whole being. Paul did not see himself as a separate person apart from Jesus Christ. It seems that in general terms or as a general practice, we see God and Jesus Christ as spiritual beings dwelling in a realm that is separate from us, and in a dimension that we only get closer to during moments of praise and worship. I used to joke in sermons how the saints, on Sunday night sing blissfully "I am dwelling in Beulah Land" and on Monday, we sing "he gives me everlasting joy" but by Wednesday night we sing: "Lord lift me up and let me stand." Back in London, the Lord spoke to me saying: "To grow 7 days a week, you must learn to feed yourself every day on your own. To wait for Sunday, is selling yourself short.

What was Paul’s attitude and practice concerning Jesus Christ? He did not see himself as a separate person from Christ. This quote from the apostle is one of my favorite that gives me strength and a unique perspective in my walk with Christ. Listen and learn from Paul! "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me (or instead of me) and the life I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20. What are the "take home" truths from this single verse? It is obvious that Paul reckoned himself as having died when Christ died—and having died, it is Christ who now lives in his place—Paul no more existed—from then on, he could say, "For me to live IS CHRIST."

The process or path to become ONE with Christ is already explained in scripture, in that, "he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." 1^st Corinthians 6:17. Oneness with Jesus Christ and with God the Father should be the cry and burning desire of every heart. I join the song that is always a blessing to my heart.

We say over and over that he that is joined to the Lord is ONE SPIRIT; but are we just quoting bible verses or do we speak from the actual experiences that we have in Christ.? We begin to be introduced to the concept of "putting on the incorruptible" by Peter; but several years later Paul offered his own understanding of the process of change that is coming upon the children of God, and the whole creation is on tiptoe, waiting for that marvelous time of change. Think of how time figures into the divine purposes of God, entered into his eternal ledger with our salvation slated by his own hand that in due time, will unfold and come into fruition before the face of the whole created universe.

Please be reminded to make your gifts payable to Royce Kennedy and not to the ministry.

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